Decorative sheeting and process of



Sept. 14, 1937. J, H, AY ET AL 2,092,967

DECORATIVE SHEETING AND PROCESS OF PREPARING THE SAME Filed Dec. 22, 1934 2 Sheets-Shet 2 FIG. '7.

Patented Sept. 14, 1937 NT OFFICE DECORATIVE SHEETING AND PROCESS OF PREPARING THE SAME Joseph H. Gay, .West 0range,'Ralph' G. Jackson, Woodbury, and John A. Wilson, Elizabeth,

Application December 22, 1934, Serial No. 758,868

18 Claims.- (01. 41-17) This invention relates to improvements in wear and decorative sheetings such as artificial leather, wall paper, and floor coverings, and particularly to goods of that character formed from fibrous sheeting which has been split.

Heretofore, in the manufacture of decorative coverings, use has been made of paper or felt sheets having decorative effects due to penetrating colors or to surface decorations. However, the surface of such sheets has usuallydisplayed certain characteristics indicative of the process or machine by which the paper or felt was prepared. The surface may have had a nap or it may have been ribbed, depending on whether it came into contact with a paper making web or volved considerable additional care in order to compensate for such surface factors to produce in the final product a relatively smooth surface.

According to the present invention, a nonwoven fibrous sheet having a highly desirable surface may be prepared by splitting it into a plurality of laminations. This is accomplished with marked success by moving such a sheet relatively to a travelling splitting knife, as for example, one of the endless belt type. The surface of a non-woven fibrous sheet due to such a splitting action is smooth, compacted and calendered and perfectly regular and susceptible to fine decorative treatment and greatly superior to the surfaces obtainable on known paper or felt making machines. This is true whether the decorative effects are intended to penetrate or merely remain on the surface.

One of the outstanding features of the present invention relates to the production of a plurality of similar sheets of non-woven fibrous material carrying substantially identical penerated decorations obtained by the application of penetrating coloring matter applied to the original sheet from which the plurality of sheets are split, or otherwise sub-divided. Such sheets also are peculiarlyfine because of the smooth and even surface obtainable only as result of the splitting or separating action by means of a travelling knife. Particularly satisfactory results are obtainable by the use of splitting machines of the endless band type, similar to those which have been usedv there has been no need for rolls of anyconsiderable diameter, because of the limited extent of hides. However, in providing for more or less continuous splitting treatment of sheets in the production of such goods as wall paper and floor coverings, rolls of several feet in diameter and the goods are several hundred feet long, and the process should be substantially continuous. In splitting hides, it is common to use a machine in which the hide is advanced between rollers and forced thereby against the edge of a travelling endless belt knife moving'transversely across the width of the advancing edge of the hide. The position of the rollers and hide with respect to the knife may be adjusted to determine the thickness of the sheet to be cut. Such machine is illustrated in Patents 857,682, issued June 25, 1907, and 1,058,962, issued April 15, 1913. These patents are mentioned merely by way of example. No claim is made in this present improvement to the details of the machine described and illustrated, the essential features of which may follow wall covering or. as an artificial leather. A product having this general type of decoration is already available on the market and is madein conformity with the disclosures in Patents 1,729,832 and 1,729,833, issued October 1, 1929, to

1 Ralph G. Jackson. According to those patents,

a paper-like or felt-like sheet in porous condition is subjected to a decorating treatment in which designs in difi'erent colors are applied to different zones on the surface of the sheet. The colors are caused to penetrate well down into or substantially through the thickness of the sheet, as desired. Subsequently, the colors are sealed within the sheet by saturating the sheet with a substantially transparent agent which solidifies and serves to strengthen the sheet and renders it tough and waterproof, yet pliable and resistant to the wear and tear, washing materials and general usage to which such covers are commonly" subjected.

saturated or decorated. It has been found that by putting a coat of paint on the floor side of the sheet when it is finished and allowing the oils or vehicle of this backing to slightly penetrate the sheet, the sheet .s stiffened and given a tough layer on one side which enables the sheet to be handled without wrinkling. The paint must be of such a consistency that the vehicle will penetrate the sheet to a slight degree but the pigment will not be carried to any perceptible amount into the sheet.

Another method of increasing the stiffness of the sheet and making it easier to handle is to prime it with a penetrating priming material such as an oil with a slight amount of resin in it, to moisten the sheet part or all the way through with this oil and allow it to set or oxidize and this will bond the fibers slightly and so fix them that when the sheet is distorted they will not push out of place and leave a mark on the face of the sheet. If the priming or sizing material were placed in the beaters when the sheet was made, the sheet would come out with the fibers so bonded together that it would not have the same receptivity for penetrating materials that it does if the sheet is formed first and the fibers placed and then the priming or sizing material used to toughen the sheet. In using the priming or sizing material, it is necessary to limit the quantity so that the voids of the sheet are not filled but an amount is applied simply suilicient to moisten the fibers and place them in a tacky and slightly stiifened condition. This can readily be done without decreasing the penetrating quality. I

In the foregoing, the description has been directed to the decoration of the fibrous sheet with a suggestion of the saturation with toughening agents which should follow the splitting action. In the following, there will be described the treatment accorded the sheet subsequent to its decoration.

the sheet or permit it to dry, so that it will be in the best possible condition for further treatment. Unless sufllciently dry, if the decorating media includes oils and pigments, for example, the action of the splitting knife may tend to smear the colors due to the pulling efiect on the gummy or sticky materials. Adequate drying or aging will prevent such conditions. Furthermore, the decorated sheet should be sufliciently dry to ab- The next requirement after decoration is to dry sorb a sufiicient amount of water to condition it for splitting, as will be described. The actual time for drying varies according to the materials used and atmospheric conditions and will be apparent to the operator.

An additional factor of importance should be observed in preparing some types of decorated sheets before splitting. If water soluble dyes are used in the printing operations, the decorations and the sheet must be waterproofed prior to the moistening of the sheet to sufilciently condition it for splitting, because unless so protected the excess water and the action of the splitting knife tends to smear the colors. This waterproofing can be effected by applying 'penetratingly to the sheet, thus containing the water soluble dye decorations, an agent in which thedyes are not soluble, as for example, an oil. Thereafter, the sheet is dried to oxidize the added oil or other oil present, and subsequently it is moistened to condition it for splitting, as wfll be described.

To insure the strength of the sheet during splitting treatment, it is desirable to have it include some sort of a binding material, such as an oxidizing oil. The waterproofing agent mentioned as a protective medium for water soluble dye preparatory to splitting. By a diiferent procedure, it may be incorporated with the fibers at the beater stage, or after the sheet is formed and before decoration.-

It is the common practice to apply a certain coating or printing step to a sheet and then to wind the sheets in rolls and to move them rolls as desired to locations convenient for further treatments. In Fig. 6, there is illustrated diagrammatically one of such rolls formed of a sheet 4 mounted on an axle member 5. The web of the sheet 4 may be the sheet illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3, or 4 and 5, for example, having been decorated. Following the details of the treatment outlined in Fig. 6, the sheet 4 receives a moistening treatment with water and is shown as pass I ing through water or other moistening liquid in a tank 6, after which it passes betweenrollers I and 8, at least one or both of which is driven. Theseroliers serve to draw the sheet positively and force it against the adjacent cutting edge of an endlesstravelling band or belt knife 8. as

vwill be described. The mounting of the rollers I be absolutely rigid with respect to the rollers in any predetermined position so that the thickness of the cut may be determined by the'operator of the machine as exactly as'necessary. The knife 9 may be mounted to travel in a horizontal position and lengthwise of the rolls I and 8, splitting the sheet for the thicknesses determined. The upper portion 4 will pass above the knife blade and ultimately be accumulated on a roll mounted on a driven shaft Ill. The lower portion of the sheet 4' will pass beneath the knife and ultimately be wound on a similar driven shaft iii.

In Fig. 7, the parts represented are similar to those shown in Fig. 6, but somewhat enlarged. 4

is the decorated sheet, the upper surface of which may conform to that surface marked as the receiving surface, in Figs. 3 and 5, and the corresponding lower surface would conform to that surface marked 3 in Fig. 5. It will be observed that the adjacent and newly formed surfaces of the split portions are designated in Fig. 7 as the split face, thus to identify the new and improved face of the sheet which has advantageous characteristics claimed as one improvement of this present invention. With reference to Fig. 6, it will be noted that the split faces of the respective sheets 4 and 4 arewound so that the split face is on the exterior of the respective rolls so as to thus be suitable for demonstrating purposes.

The respective-split sheets 4' and 4 of Figs. 6 and '7 are shown in Figs. 5a and 5b as having been formed from an original thicker sheet, such as that shown in Fig. 5. In both Fig. 5a and Fig. 5b,

understood that the receiving surface of the sheets, such as shown in Figs. 2-5. prior to treatment and in its original condition as received from the paper mill, is only so smooth as the characteristic production of that particular paper mill provides. There is presumably a certain amount of fuzzy irregularity. When such a surface receives the application of the coloring matter which is penetrated well down into the body of the sheet or through it, the resultant sheet, when dried, has a surface in which the slight roughness which was previously fuzzy has become somewhat set or solidified by the action of the paint or coloring matter. All of this applies equally to the under surface to which the backing treatment or coating 3 has been applied. In contrast to such formerly known surfaces, the characteristics of the split face of the lamina or relatively thinner sheets of Figs. 5a and 5b are greatly improved. The surface of the split face has been burnished and calendered by the cutting action and by the relative movement of the knife blade in the course of the cutting action. The surface has been compacted andas result of the materials of the decorating step, the combined cutting and calendaring action is markedly different from the cutting of a fibrous sheet which has not been so impregnated. The characteristics of the split face render the sheet suitable for a variety of uses without further coating treatments, even though further saturation is contemplated.

In the foregoing, the term receiving surface is used simply to identify that surface of the sheet to which the application of decorating coloring matter is normally applied.

In Figs. 6 and '1, it is contemplated that the decorated sheet l may have penetrating decorations as desired or as conforming to either of the examples of Figs. 2-5 inclusive, although as illustrated in Fig. 'l the cross sectional view does not undertake to illustrate any particular decoration.

In the production of the split sheets according to the treatment provided according to Fig. 6, there is preferably sufficient time allotted between the splitting action and the winding of the sheets 4'- and 4 in their respective rolls to permit drying of the excess moisture introduced into the sheet in conditioning it for splitting.

It is characteristic of this type of splitting machine that the splitting can most readily be accomplished if the sheet is thoroughly wet. As pertains to the moistening of a decorated sheet. it is obvious that such a sheet will not absorb as much water as a plain untreated porous fibrous non-woven sheet. However, there is found to be serves in a measure somewhat similar to or supplemental to the water in providing a suitable condition of the sheet for the knife splitting action. At any rate, it is apparent that the decorated sheet with water is more satisfactorily split to provide a satisfactory product for the purpose of the present invention than is such a fibrous sheet which is dry. No claim is made to the splitting of moist or wet sheets broadly, because this is known to be the common practice in the splitting of hides. However, in the present invention, somewhat diiferent problems are met-and different factors are involved.

To further emphasize the importance of moistenin the decorated sheet prior to splitting. it

may be said that the tank s and the illustration of the sheet passing through liquid in the tank is merely diagrammatic. The wetting action may be as involved or as simple as desired, or as quickly accomplished or as protracted as required to complete the sufficient moistening of the sheet. For example, instead of simply passing between a single-pair of rollers in the tank for the purpose of squeezing out air and permitting the moistening medium, for instance water or other suitable preferably transparent or light colored saturant, to be absorbed into the sheet, this arrangement could be multiplied, as desired. Or, as an example of how time for penetration may be insured, the wet sheet may be wound in a roll after being moistened and in between the moistening step and the splitting treatment. In Fig. 6, the sheet 4 is shown as broken away on either side of the tank 6, in order to emphasize and indicate that the passage of the decorated sheet is not necessarily continuously from the axle 5 through the tank 8 to the knife 9.

It has been observedgthat the moistening of a sheet which has. not been unduly toughened by the action of the preparative material, or the absorbed paint or paint vehicle or paint pigment or other saturant may sufficiently be accomplished by being subjected to a bath of steam. Plain untreated felt sheets or sheets which have been colored by dye, as contrasted to paint, are examples of sucha sheet which may be sumciently moistened by the action of steam.

After the split sheets 4 and 4" are thoroughly dry, they may be treated to further complete them for certain uses. For example, they may be rendered more waterproof, tough and resistant to floor covering usage if they are further impregnated with a saturant, such as taught in the Jackson Patents 1,729,832 or 1,729,833, or as follows. The saturant may be a solution containing a cellulose ester, or containing resins and waxes, which completely fill the remaining voids between the fibers. The addition of resins and waxes to the saturant gives added smoothness to the surface when the sheet is subjected to pressure, as hereinbefore described. It is contemplated that the saturant may be substantially transparent in order not to hide the decorative coloring.

To thus saturate the sheets 4- and 4, if suffiweb into a bath of the saturant or the rolls ac- .cumulated on the axles III may be removed, conveyed to the saturating room, and there mounted on an axle, and the sheet passed through the desired saturating equipment, the details of which form no part of the present invention and for that reason are not described in detail.

A completed product suitable for floor or wall covering use, or as artificial leather, is illustrated diagrammatically in Figures 2-5, inclusive, 5a. and 5b.

It is considered that a split sheet is formed after a sheet is subjected to the process of splitting as hereinbefore described and even though only the surface unevenness of the paper or felt sheet be removed. Under such treatment, the surface portion removed may not be sufficiently thick to comprise a continuous sheet but may amount only to shavings or the extreme projecting portions of the original surface. The fact still remains that the body of the sheet is provided with the improved surface.

An excess of pigment tends to heat the knife. Thus dyed decorations are preferable so far as knife action is concerned. Heat tends to discolor the fibei-s of the sheet and soften gums or oils present. Abundance of saturation with water preparatory to splitting promotes satisfactory knife action. These are factors which come within the observation of the operator.

The foregoing has been directed chiefly to the description of a sheet which is first decorated and then split. It is apparent that the saturant toughening agent, if one be used, may be added either before or after the splitting treatment. In some cases, there is a preference for subsequent saturation if the sheet may be mor readily split without the presence of the saturant.

We claim:

1. The process of making decorative sheetings, which process comprises tinting a non-woven porous fibrous sheet, by applying coloring matter to the surface thereof and causing the same to penetrate well down into the body of the sheet, and thereafter splitting the colored sheet thus of uniform thickness throughout into a plurality of thinner sheets each of uniform thickness throughout and with regularity of surface and displaying identical decorative coloring and like surface characteristics on those faces which have resulted from the splitting action.

2. The process of making decorative sheetings, which process comprises tinting a non-woven felt-like porous fibrous sheet of substantially uniform texture throughout by applying coloring matter thereto and causing it to penetrate substantially throughout the thickness of the sheet, and thereafter splitting the colored sheet thus of uniform thickness throughout into a plurality of thinner sheets each of uniform thickness throughout and with regularity of surface and displaying identical decorative coloring and like coloring matter and the designs to penetrate substantially through the thickness of the sheet, and thereafter splitting the colored sheet thus of uniform thickness throughout into a plurality of thinner sheets each of uniform thickness throughout and with regularity of surface and displaying identical decorative coloring and like surface characteristics on those faces which have resulted from the splitting action.

4. The process of making decorative sheetings,

55- which process comprises tinting a non-woven porous fibrous sheet of substantially uniform thickness throughout, by applying coloring matter to the surface thereof and causing the same to penetrate well down into the body of the sheet, splitting the colored sheet thus of uniform thickness throughout into a plurality of thinner sheets each of uniform thickness throughout and with regularity of surface and displaying identical decorative coloring and like surface characteristics on those faces which have resulted from the trate substantially throughout the thickness of impregnated non-woven porous fibrous sheet, causing the coloring matter and the designs to penetrate substantially through the thickness of the sheet, splitting the colored sheet thus of uniform thickness throughout into a plurality of thinner sheets each of uniform thickness throughout and with regularity of surface and displaying identical decorative'coloring and like surface characteristics on those-faces which have resulted from the splitting action, and subjecting the split sheets to a saturating treatment in which substantially the entire thickness of the sheet is impregnated with a substantially transparent waterproofing agent.

7. The process of making decorative sheetings, which process comprises tinting a non-woven porous fibrous sheet of substantially uniform thickness throughout, by applying coloring matter to the surface thereof and'causing the same to penetrate well down into the body of the sheet, subjecting the sheet so prepared to a moistening treatment to condition it for splitting, and thereafter splitting the colored sheet into a plurality of thinner sheets displaying identical decorative coloring and like surface characteristics on those games which have resulted from the splitting ac- 8. The process of making decorative sheetings, which process comprises tinting a non-woven felt-like porous fibrous sheet of substantially uniform thickness and texture throughout by applying coloring matter thereto and causing it to penetrate substantially throughout the thickness of the sheet, subjecting the sheet so prepared to a moistening treatment to condition it for splitting, and thereafter splitting the colored sheet into a plurality of thinner sheets displaying identical decorative coloring and like surface characteristics on those faces which have resulted from the splitting action.

9. The process of making decorative sheetings, which process comprises applying decorative coloring matter in designs to the surface of a nonwoven porous fibrous sheet, causing the coloring matter and the designs to penetrate substantially through the thickness of the sheet, subjecting the sheet so prepared to a moistening treatment to condition it for splitting, and thereafter splitting the colored sheet into a plurality of thinner sheets displaying identical decorative coloring and like surface characteristics on those faces which have resulted from the splitting action.

10. The process of making decorative sheetings, which process comprises tinting a non-woven fibrous sheet of substantially uniform thickness throughout, by applying coloring matter to the surface thereof and causing the same to penetrate well down into the body of the sheet, subjecting the sheet so prepared to a moistening treatment to condition itfor splitting, splitting the colored sheet into a plurality of thinner sheets displaying identical decorative coloring and like surface split sheets to a saturating treatment in which substantially the entire thickness of the sheet is impregnated with a substantially transparent water-proofing agent.

11. The process of making decorative sheetings, which process comprises tinting a non-woven felt-like porous fibrous sheet of substantially uniform thickness and texture throughout by applying coloring matter thereto and causing it to penetrate substantially throughout the thickness of the sheet, subjecting the sheet so prepared to a moistening treatment to condition it for splitting, splitting the colored-sheet into a plurality of thinner sheets Idisplaying identical decorative coloring and like surface characteristics on those faces which have resulted from the splitting action, and subjecting the split sheet to'a saturating treatment in which substantially the entire thickness of the sheet is-impregnated with a substantially transparent waterproofing agent.

12. The process of making decorative sheetings, which process comprisesapplying decorativecoloring matter in designs to the surface of a nonwoven porous fibrous sheet, causing the coloring matter and the designs to penetrate substantially through the thickness of the sheet, subjecting the sheet so prepared to a molstenlng treatment to condition it for splitting, splitting the colored sheet into a plurality of thinner sheets displaying identical decorative coloring and like surface characteristics on those faces which have resulted from the splitting action, and subjecting the split sheets to a saturating treatment in which substantially the entire thickness of the sheet is impregnated with a substantially transparent waterproofing agent.

13. The process of making decorative sheetings, which process comprises tinting a non-woven porous fibrous sheet of substantially uniform thickness throughout, by applying coloring matter to the surface thereof and causing the same to penetrate well down into the body of the sheet, and thereafter moving the sheet in a predetermined path relative to a travelling knife and thereby splitting the sheet thus of uniform thickness throughout into a plurality of sheets each of uniform thickness throughout and with regularity of surface and displaying identical decorative coloring and like surface characteristics on those faces which have resulted from the splitting action.

14. The process of making decorative sheetings, which process comprises tinting a nonwoven porous fibrous sheet of substantially uniform thickness throughout, by applying coloring matter to the surface thereof and causing the same to penetrate well down into the body of the sheet, moving the sheet in a predetermined path relative to a travelling knife and thereby splitting the sheet thus of uniform thickness throughout into a plurality of sheets each of uniform thickness throughout and with regularity of surface 05 and displaying identical decorative coloring and like surface characteristics on those faces which have resulted from the splitting action, and subjecting the split sheets to a saturating treatment in which substantially the entire thickness of the sheet is impregnated with a substantially transparent waterproofing agent. I

15. The process of making decorative sheetings, which process comprises tinting a nonwoven porous fibrous sheet of substantially uniform thickness throughout, by applying coloring matter to the surface thereof and causing the same to penetrate well down into the body of the sheet, subjecting the sheet so prepared to a moistening treatment to condition it for splitting, and thereafter moving -the' sheet in a predetermined path relative to a travelling knife and thereby splitting the sheet into a plurality of sheets displaying identical decorative coloring and like surface characteristics on those faces which have resulted from the splitting action.

16. The process of making decorative sheetings, which process comprises tinting a nonwoven porous fibrous sheet of substantially uniformthickness throughout, by applying coloring matter to the surface thereof and causing the same to penetrate well down into the body of the sheet, subjecting the sheet so prepared to a moistening treatment to condition it for splitting, moving the sheet in a predetermined path relative to a travelling knife and thereby splitting the sheet into a plurality of sheets displaying identical decorative coloring and like surface characteristics .on those faces which have resulted from the splitting action, and subjecting the split sheet to a saturating treatment in which substantially the entire thickness of the sheet is impregnated with a substantially transparent waterproofing agent.

17. The process of making decorative sheetings, which process comprises applying decorative coloring matter in designs to the surface of a non-woven porous sheet, causing the coloring matter and the designs to penetrate substantially through the thickness of the sheet, and thereafter splitting the colored sheet into a plurality of thinner sheets each of uniform thickness throughout and with regularity of surface and displaying identical decorative coloring and like surface characteristics on those faces which have resulted from the splitting action.

18. In a decorative'product, a non-woven flbrous felted sheet of a thickness and pliability capable of being rolled, said sheet being of substantiallyuniform texture and thickness throughout having decorative coloring in designs and a waterproofing saturant extending substantially through the thickness of the sheet, one face of the sheet displaying decorations characteristic of a surface formed by splitting a thicker sheet of a type carrying similar designs applied penetratingly to an outer surface thereof, said face being burnished and smooth.

JOSEPH H. GAY. RALPH G. JACKSON. JOHN A. WILSON.

W. P. GEE FILTRATION Sept. 14, 1937.

Filed April 25, 1932 kw vii WILL/HM P. 655

. INVENTOR BY ms ATTORNEY 

